Fuqing 5 foundation in place

The pouring of concrete for the base mat of the reactor building of Fuqing 5, China's first Hualong One unit, has been completed, China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) announced today.

Pouring of the foundation for Fuqing 5 was completed in 58 hours (Image: CNNC)

The company began pouring first concrete for the unit in the morning of 7 May, marking the official start of construction of the unit, the first of two Hualong One units planned for the Fuqing plant in China's Fujian province. It announced today that the operation was successfully completed at 8.08 pm on 9 May, with some 9147 cubic metres of concrete having been poured.

The foundation of the reactor building has a diameter of 56 metres and is over 4.5 metres deep. Some 1700 tonnes of steel rebar has been used in it.

In November 2014, CNNC announced that the fifth and sixth units at Fuqing will use the domestically developed Hualong One reactor design, marking its first deployment. The company had previously expected to use the ACP1000 design for those units, but plans were revised in line with a re-organisation of the Chinese nuclear industry. China's State Council gave final approval for construction of Fuqing units 5 and 6 in mid-April.